Jackson, Longstreet and Randolph: Sons of Appalachia in
Living History

(Bridgeport, West Virginia) March 15, 2000

On March 14 the Stonewall Jackson Civil War Roundtable featured a talk and
slide
presentation entitled "Jackson, Longstreet and Randolph: Sons of Appalachia in
Living History." The presentation by Nicholas E. Hollis, president of the
Agribusiness Council (ABC) and Pat Griffith, a former press secretary of the
late US Senator
Jennings Randolph (and native of Clarksburg) provided a unique weave of themes
linking the Civil War to the present. Hollis described how genealogical
research last
summer, connected with ongoing efforts to memorialize Randolph, had uncovered
the kinship ties with Longstreet's family, opening a rich vein of historical
inquiry.

The talk illuminated several threads weaving rural backgrounds, childhood
tragedies,
military experience and command styles of two of the most famous generals in
US history, providing examples of their leadership and courage under fire, as
"brothers in arms" at key engagements such as Second Manassas, Antietam,
and Fredericksburg. As he profiled the two generals , Hollis refuted notions
that
Old Jack (Jackson) and Old Pete (Longstreet) had anything but a deep mutual
professional respect for eachother while they made history together.

Beyond the Civil War, Hollis' talk included perspectives on Longstreet's
struggles
during the Reconstruction Era and his penchant for speaking truth to power,
his
prescience with military tactics and technology and links with his relative,
Jennings
Randolph, who became a great (if unheralded) "warrior for peace" throughout
the
20th century in the spirit of his namesake, William Jennings Bryan, three time
Democratic nominee for president (1896, 1900, 1908). The slides also featured
some examples from Randolph's international statesmanship during the last
major
energy price spike by OPEC in the late 1970s (i.e. Agri-Energy Roundtable). In
addition Randolph's efforts as a modern day Populist and the last of the New
Dealers were described - much to the delight of the overflow audience. The
program
also included a special focus on Harrison County (WV) where two of the Sons
were
born and bred, and where the third (Longstreet) visited while commissioner of
railroads in the late 1890s when Clarksburg was a prosperous city on the
nation's
"mainstreet" railroad (Baltimore & Ohio). Longstreet was raised in the
foothills
of the Blue Ridge near Gainesville, Georgia.

Hollis encouraged more cooperation on citizenship development among history,
genealogy and civil war groups aimed at involving young people and drew a
sharp
correlation between voter apathy, youth violence and the willingness of
so-called
political leaders to engage in perpetuating "Half-truths, falsehoods and
innuendo
to distort honest history for momentary advantage"...The young people know
what
is going on," Hollis continued, "No one is fooling them. The country is awash
in
lies and the 20th century has been soaked in blood", he continued, reminding
his audience that Randolph, known as the "Father of the 26th Amendment" fought
for younger adult suffrage (at age 18) after witnessing American youth march
off
to four foreign wars in this century by 1971. Randolph was saddened by the
decline
in voter registration and interest in civic affairs."Randolph knew our Nation
would
reap the whirlwind if we continued to accept falsehoods as currency in our
public
discourse," Hollis stated. He then outlined the tragedies which beset
Longstreet
and Randolph, who unlike Jackson, who died of battle wounds after
Chancellorsville
(May 1863) lived long lives on the public stage -- and were victimized by the
negative
politics of their times.

By the end of the evening a resolve emerged from certain members of the
audience
that remembering honest history with accent on the positive nature of these
heroes
of Appalachia could create an exciting foundation to advance good works and
citizenship outreach to a broader network of Americans interested in lighting
our
Nation's future by learning the lessons of our preserved heritage.

It is anticipated that more discussions will take place aimed at convening a
larger
program in the coming months. Your support would be be most appreciated as we
forge new bonds among those who want to reach out to our young people and
inspire them with lives of those who came before and sacrificed for their
beliefs.

The Jennings Randolph Recognition Project (JRRP) and the General Longstreet
Recognition Project (GLRP) are sponsored by the Agribusiness Council (ABC),
a nonprofit, educational organization and a number of state agribusiness
council
affiliated associations, including the West Virginia Agribusiness Council
(WV/ABC)
which provides logistical support for the JRRP.

Page maintained by Dan Hyde, hyde at bucknell.edu Last update
March 19, 2000

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